ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN PARENTAL INVALIDATION, PERCEIVED PEER SUPPORT, AND BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER SYMPTOMS

Abstract

In line with Linehan’s (1993) biosocial model, parental invalidation is a well-established risk factor for Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD; Lee et al., 2022). However, apart from parental factors, other factors such as one’s experience with other social figures can also further contribute to the development of BPD. Thus, this study introduces an interpersonal factor, perceived peer support, to be studied in the context of parental invalidation and BPD symptoms. I first investigated how parental invalidation predicts both perceived peer support and BPD symptoms respectively. Thereafter, I studied the possible bidirectional influence between perceived peer support and BPD symptoms over time, to examine the role of perceived peer support in the maintenance of BPD symptoms. Using an undergraduate sample (N = 234), this study adopts a longitudinal design with two data collection time points spaced eight weeks apart. Path analysis revealed that parental invalidation predicted both higher BPD symptoms, and lower perceived peer support. However, a bidirectional influence was not supported. While higher BPD symptoms predicted lower perceived peer support eight weeks later, the reverse association was not significant. Findings suggest that both parental invalidation and BPD could contribute to the development of low perceived peer support.